Christian Louboutin is suing YSL over who owns the red sole. See other chic court cases involving Hermès, Chanel, Balenciaga, and Ralph Lauren

Designer Lawsuits

Designer Lawsuits

Christian Louboutin v. YSL

Simply put, it is a battle for the sole. Last year, Christian Louboutin sued Yves Saint Laurent, claiming a trademark infringement on his signature "Chinese Red" soles because YSL featured a red-soled shoe in its 2011 resort collection. Yves Saint Laurent countered that it has used red soles since the 1970s, and in August, a federal judge in New York ruled that Louboutin's trademark on the color was "overly broad" and not protected. But the designer was back in court this week to appeal that ruling. He appeared with Diane von Furstenberg at his side and told WWD that for YSL "this might just be a legal matter, but that's not the case for me. On the contrary, to me it is very personal."

Birkin hunters have long traded tales of how to land the legendary Hermès bag, so Thursday Friday, the Los Angeles–based accessories company, came up with a simple solution—silkscreen an image of one onto a canvas tote. Hermès was not amused by the $35 Together bag and in January 2011 sued Thursday Friday for copyright infringement. Although Thursday Friday did not use the actual Hermès logo and claimed its tote was protected because it's a "parody," a judge disagreed—the case was settled for an undisclosed amount, and the Together bag was bagged.